Fernsehturm - TV Tower

Whether it's dressed up like a football or covered in love messages, there's something singularly fascinating about Berlin's most recognisable building.

The Fernsehturm is certainly one of the more fondly regarded hangovers from the GDR era, and its 1970s-Sputnik splendour marks it out from the world's other great towers (to which it is compared in an exhibition on the ground floor).

Berlin is a beautiful spectacle from this lofty spot, and other high places (the casino in the Park Inn next door, for example) don't have the 360 degree perspective or the long opening hours. But there are drawbacks - the prices are unashamedly tourist-milking, and the cocktail bar, restaurant and souvenir shop do little to disguise the sense of unloved, state-run necessities.

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Comments (1)

Not like old times...

Back in time the TV-tower was one of the highlights for my visits to Berlin.But last time, back in the summer of 2010, it was very disappointing.For some years they changed the entrance procedure!Først you have to stand in a line to get tickets, and when you have got this, you have to look at the ticket to see when you will be able to get up in the tower - and stand in a line to wait for that! (before they let you to the elevator you have to get in a line where the make sure you don't have anything to drink or eat with you).

Everytime I've been up the Berlin TV-tower, one of the traditions was to eat at the restaurant at the top-level which is circulating twice every hour. Normally you would have to stand in a little line to get a table when it was free... But now, in the elevator, on the way up, I was told that the restaurant was full for the rest of the day and you had to make reservation on the internet to get a table... and to choose the time of the day by yourself you should make the reservation 14+ days before the visit.

Many tourist has been surprised by the fact that the ticket don't get you to the tower right away, but sometimes you have to wait several hours to get up the tower.No signs tells you not to have foot or drinks with you before you are asked to leave it. (in fact they got a soft-drink automat right at where you go up to leave your drinks and food?)A sign at the ticket-line tells you if the restaurant is full right now - But info about rest of the day is first being told when you are in the elevator on the way up?)

All this is a very disappointing change to the tourist thing the TV-tower once was.